


if the sun could sing

by closingdoors



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Drabble, F/F, see? you see? i can write fluff!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:22:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23992969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/closingdoors/pseuds/closingdoors
Summary: Charity buys Vanessa flowers. Set in January 2020.For Amy.
Relationships: Charity Dingle/Vanessa Woodfield
Comments: 9
Kudos: 109





	if the sun could sing

**Author's Note:**

> For Amy, who saw yellow flowers and thought of Vanessa Woodfield, then asked me to fic this.
> 
> And also for Moana and Achy, who believe I'm incapable of writing anything that's purely fluff. I wrote this in an hour just to spite you.

"And the speck of my heart, in my shed of flesh and bone, began to sing out, the way the sun would sing if the sun could sing, if light had a mouth and a tongue, if the sky had a throat."

**West Wind, Mary Oliver**

* * *

Vanessa's still in her pyjamas and making herself a brew when the front door slams. She recognises the pattern of the steps immediately: Charity.

"Morning, sleepyhead."

"Oh, I know. Sorry. I was up at the farm 'til three with a difficult birth. Were the boys alright this morning?" She asks, smothering a yawn behind her hand.

"No, they were absolute terrors. Barely got them to school and nursery alive."

She turns, frowning, but Charity just winks at her. Vanessa rolls her eyes.

"By the way, these are for you, babe." 

Charity presses a bouquet of flowers into her unsuspecting hands. They're varying shades of yellow interspersed with green. She lowers her nose to smell them automatically, hiding her smile among the petals. They're beautiful. 

Charity brushes past her, a hand on her hip, and presses a quick kiss to her temple. Vanessa's chest tumbles. When she and Charity had first gotten together, she had that feeling any time Charity touched her. She thought it would fade away. That it was all the newness, the sunshine of freedom filling her lungs after decades of hiding in the closet. It never has. She thinks she'll always feel like a teenager whenever Charity so much as looks at her.

"Why? What've you done?" She asks, watching Charity unpack some shopping.

Charity shrugs. "No reason. I had to go into town for some bits and I saw them. They made me think of you. You and that bloody yellow coat."

"You love that coat really."

"It's a weapon to the eyes, babe. But at least I'd always be able to find you in the dark with that thing on."

Vanessa smiles, thumbing one of the petals. 

"I don't think anyone ever has ever bought me flowers before." 

" _I've_ bought you them before," Charity points out.

"Well yeah, but that was when you were trying to make things up with me. Not just... because you could." She watches Charity for a beat. The mid-morning light casts her hair golden. Her eyes greener. Everything feels hazy, like she's still dreaming. "You're sure nothing's wrong?"

"For god's sake, babe, they're just flowers. If I knew I was gonna get interrogated over them, I wouldn't have bothered. You want me to take them back?"

"No," she replies quickly, holding them to her chest. Charity grins, smug and amused. She would kiss the grin away if that wouldn't make her even cockier. "I love them. Thank you, Charity. You didn't need to do that." 

"Have to keep you interested, don't I? Can't be slacking."

Charity says it so casually she wonders if it's true. Charity's like that: hiding insecurities in quick quips. She takes a few steps towards her and pushes up on her toes to kiss her, the flowers between them. 

Charity's hand settles on her back. Her kiss is languid, like they have all day. They do. It sends a little thrill through her every time, the unhurried way they're allowed to love each other. Her cheeks are warm with it.

Vanessa settles back down on flat feet. 

"I'm marrying you next week. Think it's too late to lose interest now, don't you?"

"On the contrary, babe, that's right about the time most people do." Charity's hand moves to her hip and squeezes. "Our Sarah's face is gonna be a picture when we surprise them all with a wedding. Who'd've thought you had it in you to organise all this, eh?"

Vanessa reaches up to brush some of the hair out of Charity's eyes. "I reckon I could do anything, so long as you're with me." 

Charity's eyes shine and she looks away, rummaging through one of the bags. She produces a small ceramic vase, white and beige and just the right size for the flowers she'd bought. Vanessa's heart triples in size. She watches as Charity fills it with water. They place the vase and flowers in the centre of the kitchen table. A simple, bright addition. 

She fusses over the flowers to make sure they look just right. Her engagement ring catches the light and she thinks about their wedding dresses, hanging beside one another in the wardrobe upstairs. Behind her, Charity catches her thumb as she closes a cabinet and swears loudly. Vanessa's not done turning toward her before she asks her to kiss it better. She does.

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: The exceptionally talented Moana has now written a piece in response to this, where Vanessa gives Charity flowers. You can find it [here.](https://dancingontiptoes.tumblr.com/post/617317226268278784/i-read-ellies-beautiful-flower-au-and-felt)


End file.
